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Jessica Zizzo

Group: Step into Life® Mawson Lakes, South Australia

Comments about Step into Life®:

'I joined Step into Life Mawson Lakes because I wanted to improve my fitness and gain motivation to develop a routine and commit to something I would actually go to every week (as my commit to the gym wasn't working out so well). Though I have only been a member of Step into Life for a couple of months my fitness level and endurance during each session has radically improved.

Our trainer Craig has had a really positive impact on my training and has given me the encouragement I need to push myself further every week. Craig knows each of our fitness levels and goals we would like to achieve, based on this he pushes each of us to a higher fitness level he knows we can achieve. Craig is extremely committed to helping us achieve our health/fitness goals. Craig's recognition of our achievements is also highly motivational.

Step into Life offers a personal yet highly sociable environment. I can't understand why anyone would go to a gym when there is Step into Life- it is training you look forward to doing, not training you dread doing! Everyone is extremely friendly and believe me training is a lot easier when you chat and gossip your way through it! Don't get me wrong that doesn't mean it's easy!

I love my Step into Life training; it's great because I feel I can recommend it to all kinds of people young or old, fit or unfit. So if your looking for something that will give you quick results and something you will stick to, Step into Life is your answer!'

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Jim and Susan O'Doherty

Group: Step into Life® West Lakes, South Australia

Comments about Step into Life®:

We were driving past a group of people exercising outside and saw the Step into Life sign and called the next day. We are quite happy we joined. Both my wife and I have lost over 7kg each and we feel much better about our appearance. The classes are different each week and it is so much better being outside then inside a gym; the instructors are well qualified and the atmosphere is friendly and people you exercise with are very friendly. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking to improve their lifestyle.
Jim & Susan O’Doherty - West Lakes

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Jo Carroll

Group: Step into Life® Morningside, Queensland

Comments about Step into Life®:

I joined Step into life Morningside about two months ago. I am a 44 year old Mum of three who wanted to get fit but disliked gyms, especially those full of thin, fit people:0)
My friend and I were looking for something a little different to get us going and keep us motivated and interested and Step into life fitted the bill. It seemed appealing to exercise outdoors although sometimes the Brisbane sun is relentless. Small groups were more friendly but the competitiveness was still there making us push that little bit harder ( or sometimes a whole lot harder). Louan is a great trainer, pushing every member of each group to their individual limit and not letting us chat too much to interfere with our goal for fitness. Whilst hard work and exhausting at the time, afterwards you feel so good, stamina and fitness improves ten fold, weight drops and muscle tone defines. It really is worth it and is fun at the same time. All our effort is rewarded when we can now lift double the weights we started with, do a plank for twice the length of time and do more push ups, sit-ups and crunches then I ever imagined possible.

We both love it - come three, sometimes four times a week, even though we signed for two. I now actually look forward to being worked hard and my body acknowledges it is good for it because I feel so much more healthy and have increased energy levels.

Do something worth while and join!

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Jodie Marsh

Group: Step into Life® Cheltenham, Victoria

Comments about Step into Life®:

My experience with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Endometriosis and what Step into Life helped me with along the way.
From the age of 21, after coming off three years of a pill, I started having immense problems with my periods. The pain I experienced left me hospitalised several times and the severe bleeding left my body exhausted and unwell. After going to gynecologists and specialists one after another all who told me it was simply from coming off the pill, I finally found one who seemed keen to listen rather than insist I had some inability to handle pain. After internal and external ultrasounds and blood tests which failed to show anything, and normal pap smears, I was admitted under his care to have surgery. Surgery found that I had an endometrium on the outside of the uterus rather than the inside. I had endometriosis. From age 21 until 28 I continued to go in every 1 1/2- 2 years to have surgery to clear the endometrium, so I could live a normal life. I was highly aware though that this condition left me with a 30% fertility rate.

At age 28 my body appeared to do a complete back flip and my bleeding ceased completely, apart from small amounts at very irregular times. After more tests it appeared I now had a large amount of small cysts all over my ovaries. My options were limited depending on what I wanted in my life at this stage. No longer was surgery required and the cysts could continue to sit there without too much damage to my body. Should I request to have them removed however, they would grow back. My fertility rate had now dropped to 5%. As I had recently married my husband and I decided that contraception wasn’t needed seeing my fertility rate was so low and that we would handle the symptoms as they came. I was given medication to help with nauseas and pain if and when I had a bleed but these made me feel sicker so I stopped taking them. At 29 my husband and I visited my gynecologist for a check up together and he discussed options for when we decided we would be ready to have children. There were several techniques I could look at, including: Metformin, Ovulation Induction using Clomid (Clomiphene Citrate), Ovarian Drilling, and IVF. The whole idea of any, were too much to contemplate at that stage. Several issues have been linked to Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome such as excessive weight and unhealthy lifestyles. I went away from this appointment feeling down but positive that when the time came he would be able to help us. Although it did put a dampener of what a long, tiring and uncomfortable road lay ahead of us achieving our dream of having a family.

I then decided, after a year of watching Step into Life Cheltenham work up a lather at the park while I walked my dogs each night, that it was time I stopped making excuses and did something about my weight and my fitness. I have always been a healthy eater and blessed with not liking foods such as chocolate, cream or sweet things! But my weight has always been the heavier size of healthy. I joined Donna and the 6am group in October 2008. I was nervous but looking forward to a lifestyle change and immediately felt welcomed, encouraged and part of a team. In the following months I became a different fitter more positive person and shed a total of 9 kilograms, enjoying shopping for size 12 again and feeling great about myself. In late February I became unwell. I started experiencing terrible headaches, nauseas and just a general feeling of unwell. I thought I must have been coming down with a virus. As I work in aged care several case workers and nurses I speak with regularly told me about a virus that had been going around with similar symptoms. I rested up and the headaches slowly got better but I was feeling exhausted and nauseas still all of the time. When I realised my period, which was never on time anyway, was late, I tried not to think too much of it, knowing my chances were so low. I didn’t want to get my hopes up. But with my husband by my side we took a pregnancy test to see two lines – pregnant! Then a scan showed the little “it” happily in there doing all the right things it should be doing at 6 weeks! Another 6 weeks later Donna, my trainer, and I finally were able to share the news with my group which was wonderful. The Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Association of Australia recommends a few things to help with the symptoms, not the cure, of this illness, the two main things being diet and exercise. I will never know for sure if Step into Life is the reason that our little miracle has come along, but I know for sure that it has definitely helped. To suddenly find ourselves expecting without the long tiring road of IVF ahead is too overwhelming or amazing that I could possibly put into words, and has reduced me to tears several times. I could not thank Donna and my team enough for getting me to where I am now with my fitness and weight, and also bringing a little miracle on the way!

After a nervous pregnancy - a good one and very enjoyable - but still a bit nervous that something would go wrong, on the evening of 22nd October I was in labour. A very quick, drug free 2 hours later, Byron Anthony Marsh was born, 6 pounds 12, blonde hair and the most adorable thing I have ever set eyes on. I can't get enough of him, watching him grow, learn and just "be" is still a miracle and feeling of joy that I will never be able to explain or understand why I got so lucky. And I thank all of those involved, for my 6am team and donna who helped me get fit and feel great, I am sure had a big part in the miracle I now call my son and I will be eternally grateful

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John Blakeney

Group: Step into Life® Golden Grove, South Australia

Comments about Step into Life®:

I have been a member of Step into Life, Golden Grove since March 2006. I was brought by a friend to a class on a Tuesday night (toning) and ever since then have been coming religiously 3 times a week!
What I enjoy about Step into Life is exercising outdoors, training in a group environment because you get that interaction and fun while you’re moving towards your personal goals and the fantastic trainer you get to help you and guide you along the way. I also love how the classes are so different and varied every week because it makes it more appealing than doing the same thing every week. I currently am doing boxing, fit-ball, cardio and toning classes.
Before I joined Step into Life I had not done much exercise and physical work so when I went out there for the first time I struggled thinking “oh my god” I’m going to die!!! Before I joined I used to go out for the occasional run or walk around the suburb I lived in but that was it. It was the day when my friend asked me to come along, that Tuesday night, that I knew I needed to change my lifestyle and to get out there and be more active.
I never used to be able to run fast or very far before I joined up but I have challenged myself week in and week out and have had loads of motivation from my trainer, Matty, to achieve my goals. So I’m always up for a challenge now and I love when Matty just pushes you that extra mile to make you work to your full maximum. I’m now running 5 minute per km, I have done 3 fun runs (including 2 city to bay’s), been involved in 2 Mini Olympics and achieved an award from my trainer. I was picked as the member of the year 2006/07 for all the hard work and training I have done.
I have achieved so much from joining up to such a fantastic program and have to thank Matty for being an inspiration and such a motivational leader. We may think at certain times he is torturing us but it’s all for the greater good in the end. We just know he wants us to work to our full potential and get the best out of what he has planned for us every time we go to class.

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